Not Yet
by AquaQuadrant
Summary: Ever since Danny faced his alternate future self, he was worried about turning evil. But he never even dreamed it would happen like this.


**Author's Note: Hello everyone!**

**Well, there have been some stories floating around about Danny having nightmares during class and involuntarily going ghost in front of everyone. This is my take on that topic. This takes place after Tue and PP, except nobody aside from Sam, Tucker, and Jazz (and Vlad, I guess) know his secret. This starts around the middle of sophomore year.**

**For the sake of this one-shot, I'm going to go with the head canon that Danny's ghost half, Phantom, really is evil, and the only reason Danny Phantom is a hero is because Danny Fenton makes it that way.**

**Oh, and if anyone reads my other story, that is not officially discontinued. I haven't been feeling very inspired lately, and things have been really crazy. I write bits and pieces of it from time to time, so... yeah. Anywho, here's my first stab at an angsty one-shot. Hopefully this gets my creative juices flowing. Enjoy! ~ Aqua.**

**P.S. Plain italics represent Danny's thoughts.**

* * *

Danny dragged himself out of bed.

It was hard to abandon the alluring comforts of his soft mattress and warm blankets. His mind was not completely awake yet, his normally crisp blue eyes fogged with sleepiness. So it wasn't a surprise when he tumbled out of bed straight onto the floor of his bedroom.

The fifteen-year old moaned from his spot on the floor. It was a very undesirable position; his face was smashed against the cold floor and one of his legs was still tangled in the bed sheets. Either way, the boy found that his eyes were starting to flutter closed again, sleep beckoning him to it's warm embrace.

The trance was quickly broken, however, when a shrill voice pierced his tranquil thoughts.

"Danny! Wake up! You're going to be late!"

It was his sister, Jazz. The seventeen-year old girl poked her head into her brother's room.

Y_**eA**__h, _g**e**_**T**__ U_**p, d**_e**ad**_bE_**at.**_

"Danny, we do this every day. You can't avoid school. You're a growing boy! Your mind needs constant mental stimulation!" The redhead chided him. Danny groaned again, twisting his head to scowl at his sister.

"Alright, Jazz. I'm up." He mumbled. The halfa jerked his foot free from the sheets and forced himself to stand, swaying slightly. Jazz narrowed her eyes at her younger brother, her teal eyes darting to a faint bruise located slightly above his left eye.

"Danny..." She began, her voice dropping to a whisper. "What time did you get home last night?"

_**U**_h_**, **__o__**H, **d**I**_**d**_** soM**__e__**b**_**oD**_**y b**_**r**E_**a**k _**h**_i__**s**_** C**_**u**_r_**F**_e_**w****...?**_

The raven-haired teen frowned as he tried to remember details.

"Um, I got home around midnight, but then my ghost sense woke me around two and-"

"Danny." His sister's voice was tight. "You can't keep doing this to yourself. One of these days, it'll be too much."

i**'****_M _****cO**_u_**n**ti_n_**g oN **_i_**_t_****.**

"Jazz, I'm fine."

_**L **_ _i _**A ** _ r_ ..**..**

Jazz studied the younger Fenton skeptically. She was about to reply when a new voice caught both the sibling's attention.

"Kids! Breakfast is ready!"

Maddie Fenton's voice floated up from the kitchen. Danny caught the aroma of pancakes. His stomach protested loudly, growling like a ravenous beast. Jazz noticed this and sighed.

"Alright, just get dressed. But this conversation isn't over. We have to talk about this later."

_**G**e**E, **_**t**_**Ha**_n_**kS **_**m**_o**M.**_

"Okay, Jazz."

Jazz cast one more worried glance at Danny before retreating downstairs. Danny let out a sigh and closed the door, scowling with annoyance.

_Would you be quiet?_

_**w**_**O**u_**Ld **_**y**_**O**u** Be** q_**U**_**iE**t**?**_

_Stop mocking me._

**S**_**T**o**p **m**Oc**_k_**In**_**g **M**_e_**_**.**_

_You're hopeless._

_y_**o_U_**_'_r**_E_**** _H_**o**_p_E_l_e**S**s_._**

Danny bit his lip. This was getting him nowhere. He decided to ignore the mental pestering and get dressed to regretfully face the day. After trading his pajamas for his trademark white T-shirt and jeans, Danny ran a comb through his ever messy hair and grabbed a gray hoodie. He was never cold, even though it was January. The jacket was to hide the small bruises peppering his forearms. They would fade in a couple hours, but Danny didn't want his parents to notice. His dad might pass it off as normal teenage recklessness, but his mother would surely grow worried. She was always the more observant one of the pair.

The teenager thumped down the stairs, taking them three at a time.

_t_**h**_**U**_**m**p**,**_** T**_**h**_u**Mp, **_t_**H**u**mP. H**e_**E**_**h**E**e...**_

_Shut up._

Danny slid into his chair, grabbing his fork eagerly. His mother smiled at the fifteen-year old and set a plate of pancakes down in front of him. With a rushed thanks, Danny attacked his breakfast with the expected gusto of a teenage boy. His father looked up from his latest little gizmo and grinned at his son.

"Danny boy! Good to see ya!"

U**_ns__U_**s**p**_e**Cti**__N_**_g_** M_**o****R**o_n**.**..

"Hey, Dad." Danny managed between bites. His ghost hunting left him drained all the time. The only way Danny could keep his energy up was with frequent snacking. In fact, he'd become a bit like Tucker in that way...

**u**_**S**_e_**lEs**_s_ **G**_e**E_k._**..

After cleaning his plate and downing a glass of milk, Danny quickly hugged his mom goodbye and grabbed his backpack. The purple knapsack was in a sorry state, being held together in some places by duct tape and willpower. For some reason, Danny couldn't bring himself to part with it.

"Bye, mom! Bye, Dad! See you later!"

**N**_o P_**r**_o_**_M_**i**_s_E_s._**

The teenager ran to board the smelly yellow school bus. He couldn't wait until he got his driver's license. The bus was loud, and stuffy, and smelly, and really really crowded. Danny squeezed his way past some obnoxious seniors and made his way towards the back of the bus, where Tucker was waiting for him.

His best friend greeted him with a toothy grin. "Hey, dude! Doomed 4.0's release date is out! Three weeks from Thursday!" The techno-geek exclaimed excitedly.

s**t**U_p**I**_**d** U_**s**E_**l**_e**s**_S...

"Cool! I heard there's going to be a whole new set of secret levels." Danny replied, sliding into the seat beside his friend. The duo fell into a conversation concerning homework (Danny's was unfinished, as usual), girls (Tucker still had a crush on Valerie), and their social lives (which were still non-existent). After five minutes or so, the bus screeched to a halt and Sam boarded the bus, her combat boots clunking as she made her way down the aisle.

The goth girl greeted her two friends and slid in next to Danny. The halfa blushed at the close contact as Sam got situated. Tucker caught the brief reaction and wiggled his eyebrows teasingly at Danny, who promptly elbowed him in the ribs.

Sam, not noticing this interaction between the boys, turned and gave Danny her usual condescending look.

"Danny, did you finish your Algebra homework?" She inquired.

_N_**e_V_**e**R**.

"Erm... not really..." The ghost boy answered.

Expecting this, Sam dug into her backpack and pulled out her own homework.

"Here, we have ten minutes before the bus gets to school. I'll help you solve these last problems." The goth said, whipping out a pencil. Danny smiled gratefully at his friend.

"Thanks, Sam."

"No problem. Now, in question eleven, you have to start by giving the two equations a common denominator..."

**a**_**W**w_**w... **W**_H_a**t**_ A_ s**U_p_**P_o_**R_t_**_iv_E **_G_i**_r_Lfr**_Ie_**N**d**!**

_She's NOT my girlfriend!_

**_O_**_o_**o_O_**h**_H_h_... N_**_O_**W_ i G_**_e_**t_ a rEspOnSe... _L_o_**_O_**_ks _**_l_**_i_K_e I _**_s_**_Tr_u_C_**k A**_ nE_**_r_**V_e T_**_h_E**_re, E_**_h_**?**

_I'm trying to focus, here._

**_w_**_H_**_a_t_'_**S t**_He __M_**a**_Tt_**e_R_?** _W_**_o_**_R_r**I**_ed _Y**_o**U'l**L f_**L**_U**n**k T**h**I_**s**_** yE**a_R**_?_**

_Uh, DUH! I barely scraped by last year! And now I've always got YOU distracting me! So would you please shut your-_

"Danny? Are you listening?" Sam's concerned tone brought Danny back to reality. The raven-haired teen blinked before rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Yeah, sorry..."

Sam narrowed her violet eyes. Danny cursed himself mentally for not paying attention. His goth friend sighed, running a hand through her ebony hair.

"Danny... has he been... talking to you a lot?" Sam asked, her voice lowered.

A**L**_L_**_ T_h**_E t**I**_**m**e**_!_**

"No, not really..." Danny lied.

Ever since Danny received his ghost powers, he'd sometimes heard a voice whispering to him inside his own head. It was hardly noticeable, and it rarely happened, so he decided he was just being paranoid. However, after he fought his evil, alternate future self, the voice became much more prominent and demanding. Danny was able to ignore it until a few weeks after the incident with the Disateriod. After that, the voice became venomous and mocking, and far more present. Still, not wanting to worry anyone, Danny kept it a secret for a month before he broke and told Sam, Tucker, and Jazz everything. Of course, they were worried. Danny himself was terrified. But still, they were so afraid for him anyways, what with his constant ghost fighting, he couldn't bring himself to tell them how much it affected him.

"Danny..."

"I'm fine! Really!" Danny insisted. Sam studied him, her amethyst eyes intense. Finally, after what felt like centuries, she relented.

"Okay, fine. But you gotta stop spacing out like that. I worry about you." Sam mumbled the last part, her cheeks turning slightly red. Danny felt his own face grow warmer. Tucker, sensing the awkward silence about to settle in, broke the moment with some of his well-timed humor.

"You know Sam, maybe Danny's a government drone, and sometimes the satellite that controls his brain loses connection, so he just shuts down?" Tucker joked, pretending to stare Danny down. "Here, lemme check." And with that, Tucker jabbed Danny in the ribs to get back for being elbowed.

"Ow! Cut it out, Tucker!" Danny protested, rubbing his side.

"Now we're even." Tucker announced proudly. "And I'm happy to report that Danny's side is just as squishy as ever. No metal drone here." He finished, flashing a grin.

"I'll get you for that, Tuck!" Danny threatened playfully.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Bring it on!"

And just like that, the tension between the three friends was broken. Sam laughed as the two boys swapped mock insults and gave each other noogies. For a moment, Danny almost forgot about his ghost powers, his constant fight against the supernatural, and his failing grades. Almost.

_**o**_H**, _i_**T'_**s **_O_**n**_**_,_ _gE_**E_**k**_... **H**_e_E_**H**e_**E**h_e**E**_...

* * *

"See you guys in third period!" Danny called to his departing friends.

Sam and Tucker waved as the group separated. Soon, Danny couldn't make out the forms of his friends from the massive sea of students all hurrying to get to their first class.

_**g**O**o**_**d **R_**i****D**_d**a**N**c_e_.**

_Jerk._

* * *

Danny rested his head in his left hand, his right hand half heartedly scribbling notes.

The boy's earlier fatigue had finally caught up to him. His first class was Algebra 2, which did nothing to hold his interest. After turning in his half finished homework, Danny received the usual disapproving stare and tired sigh before guiltily shuffling towards his desk.

The teenager was trying to focus, but he was tired, hungry, and now his head was starting to hurt. Danny absentmindedly wondered if that was a symptom of exhaustion. The teacher; a fifty-year old man with weather beaten skin, gnarled hands, and a comb over, was no help to Danny. His droning voice only further lulled Danny's drooping eyelids to close completely.

_H**o**_**W**_** f**_U_**n W**o**U**_**l**d _**i**T_** B**e** _t_**o**_ B_**_l_a**_S_t _t_**_H_**_A_t**_ Gu_**Y_ I_**_n_**_ t_H**_e_**_ f_**_a_**_Ce r_**_Ig_**h_T _n_O_**_w_**_, _**_h_**_M_?**

_Not now..._

_**c'**_M_**on**, J**u**_**S**t_ o**N**_e_** l**I**tT**_**l**e_ E**c**T**o-**_b**L**_**A**sT..._

_No._

Danny inhaled sharply as his head ached suddenly. The teacher halted in his lecture to give Danny a firm look.

"Is something the matter, Mr. Fenton?" The professor demanded. Danny looked up, his blue eyes alight with anxiety.

"Um, no sir." He replied, glancing away. There was a pause before the teacher continued his lesson. Danny rubbed his tired cerulean eyes, frustrated with himself.

_**Y**O_**u **_g_**oT **_I**n** t_**R_o_**_U_**_bl_E_..._**

_Shut up._

* * *

Danny once again found himself nodding off in his second class, Foreign Language.

The teen had chosen Russian. He knew that NASA required all it's astronauts to learn to speak fluent Russian. Danny had actually chosen this language a while back, before he got his ghost powers. After the accident, Danny's dreams of becoming an astronaut became all but nonexistent. Still, he clung to the language like a lifeline, as though accomplishing this would revive his forgotten dreams.

Usually, Danny was very interested in this class. But today, the words spoken by his instructor made no sense. Danny absently wondered whether he'd missed a class last week; it was highly possible. Danny missed so much class time fighting ghosts that he expected many people assumed he was doing drugs or something else equally illegal.

**n**_O**w T**_H_**a**_**t**_**'**S** a**_N_ I_**d**_**E**_a_**... d**_O _**s**o**M**_**e**t_**hI**n**G I**_l_**L**_**e**_**g**A**l **_**f**_**O**r** O**_**n**_C_**e**_**.**_..

_I said shut up._

Danny rubbed his temples, hoping to quell the oncoming headache. All of a sudden, a chill ran down his spine and blue mist escaped him. Danny groaned inwardly, just what he needed...

"May I go to the restroom?"

* * *

"Where are you...?" Danny murmured, flying invisibly down the halls of Casper High.

The bad thing about his ghost sense was that it didn't tell him _which _ghost had approached. Since he was facing the unknown, Danny had to treat each warning like a serious threat. He couldn't just ignore his ghost sense when the ghost might be something powerful, like Vortex or Plasmius. Danny also didn't know if the ghost was friendly. Maybe it was Wulf, or Dora?

Unfortunately, the answer presented itself as Danny phased outside.

Johnny 13 was leaning casually against the building, his motorcycle deliberately parked in the fire truck zone. The greasy biker looked up as Danny approached.

Danny closed his eyes, running a hand through his stark white hair.

"Please tell me you're just here for a nice, relaxing day in Amity Park?" The teen pleaded. Johnny smirked.

"Not today, punk. Kitty's being... difficult. I'm just here to release some displaced aggression on my favorite punching bag."

Danny sighed, fearing this.

"Shadow, attack!"

* * *

_**H**_e_**E**H**eE**_**h**e_**E... **t**Ha**_T_** w**A_**s _F_u**N**!**

_Be quiet._

**y_o_**_U_**_ s_**H**_oU_**_l_**d_'V_e**_ B**L**_A**_stE_d t_hA_**_t_**_ P_**_o_**_s_e_R i_N**_t_**_o o_**_b_**_Li_V**i_o_**_N_!**

_The thermos will suffice, thanks._

**_I _**K**_n_**_O_**_w _A_ w_**a**_Y _**_Y_**_o_U_ c_**A**_n E_**_n_**D_ aL_**l**_ y_**_o_**_U_r** G**_Ho_S**t_ p**Ro**b**Le**_**m**_S**.**_._**..**. **p**_**E**_**r**m**An**_**e**n_**T**l**y.**_

_Not interested._

n**_oT _**_e_**_Ve_N**_ a _**Li_t_T**_l_E**_?_**

_NO._

* * *

Danny slid into his desk just as the third period bell rang.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Danny fished out his shoddy English paper. Before he had gone on patrol last night, he'd managed to finish his essay. Though the paper was riddled with errors and made little to no sense, Danny was amazed he had actually finished it. It had a conclusion and everything!

The ecto-powered teen suddenly yawned. Usually, a ghost fight invigorated him. His ghost half possessed a source of energy that never failed to stimulate the teen. Danny blinked the sleep from his eyes, a sudden wave of exhaustion settling over him. His head was throbbing. Was this a side effect from using his ghost half while he was physically and mentally drained? Before Danny could further ponder this, his teacher instructed his students to pass their essays forward.

The halfa handed his poor essay to the student in front of him. He didn't want to disappoint his teacher, who was consequently his last year's English teacher.

Mr. Lancer had done the unfortunate act of moving up a grade with all his students. Danny was pretty sure that was called looping, and that it was reserved for second grade classes. Mr. Lancer had apparently been wanting to teach tenth graders for a while now, and just so happened to finally move up with all the other students taking tenth grade literature.

Danny had a sneaking suspicion that the teacher's actions were partly because of him. Over the months, Lancer had adopted a fatherly attitude towards Danny. He seemed concerned about the teenager. Danny was both touched and worried about this development. If Lancer stuck around, it wouldn't take long for him to figure out Danny's secret. The teen already had quite an impressive list of tardies, missed assignments, and incomplete worksheets. Danny was pretty sure Lancer saw his ghost sense once, though he didn't mention it.

Another unfortunate attribute of looping was the fact that Danny's ninth grade literature classmates became his tenth grade literature classmates. Somehow, they had all wound up in the same period, more or less. That meant class with Dash, Kwan, Paulina, Valerie, and all the other kids that saw him as a freak and an outcast. Luckily, Danny also had Sam and Tucker to back him up.

The raven-haired teen pulled out his notebook to take more incoherent notes.

* * *

It was halfway through class before Danny started getting stomach pains.

The teenager had been drifting off to sleep when a sharp pain gripped his insides. Danny bit his tongue to keep himself from crying out, wincing when he tasted coppery blood.

_What the heck...?_

Danny glanced around discreetly, checking to see if anyone had noticed. About half the class was actually paying attention to Mr. Lancer. The other half was doodling, passing notes, or day dreaming.

Deciding he'd stand out less if he appeared to be listening, Danny picked up his pencil and tried to focus on what Mr. Lancer was saying.

_**H**_E_**y.**_

Danny refused to acknowledge the voice, resolving to force himself to pay attention to his teacher. His grade was bad enough. He really needed to take good notes for tonight's essay homework.

h_**E**Ll_**o?**

It was getting harder to keep his eyes open. Danny stifled a yawn.

L**I****s**t_**E**n**!**_

His head was throbbing. Danny shook his head, trying to clear it of fog.

_**H**_e**lL**_O_ **t**_H**eR**_**e_!_ a**_**n**_**Y**o_**Ne**_ H**o**_**ME**_**?**

"Be _quiet!_" Danny hissed through clenched teeth, his eyes shut tight.

It was at that exact moment Mr. Lancer turned from the blackboard and noticed Danny.

"Mr. Fenton. Is there something you'd like to share with the class?"

Danny stared wide-eyed at his teacher. He hadn't realized he'd spoken aloud.

"Um, no sir. Sorry sir." The teen mumbled, his face heated from all the looks he was getting.

Lancer sighed. The boy worried him, no doubt. Always late, always leaving class at one point for long periods of time. Lancer feared that the boy was involved in something dangerous, something that could potentially destroy his previously promising future. But there wasn't much he could do except keep an eye on Danny, who lately seemed to be getting worse in his behavior.

He continued his lecture, casting anxious looks towards Danny every now and then.

Danny stared straight at his desk, ignoring the concerned looks he was receiving from Sam and Tucker.

_Just make it to lunch. _He told himself. _You can do that, right?_

_o**H, **s_**U_re... _b**U**_t _**_W_**_h_Y_ N_**o**t**_ T_**_a_K**_e _**A_ l_I**t**_Tl_**_e_**_ s_**_N_**_oO_**Z**_e _f_Ir_**S**_t?_**

Right when Danny was about to do just that, Mr. Lancer called on him.

"Well?" The teacher prodded. He knew that most students, especially Danny, hated being called on, but it was the only way to encourage participation. How else was he to learn?

Danny realized he didn't even know the question. Lancer raised an eyebrow.

"Who wrote _To kill a Mockingbird?" _The teacher repeated.

The teenager racked his brain for the answer. He _knew _this one.

"Um... To kill a Mockingbird was written by..." Suddenly, a spasm seized the boy. Danny grabbed his head in pain.

Dash's rude laugh was heard from the other side of the room.

"Don't think_ too_ hard, Fentoni! You'll hurt yourself!" Dash jeered. The jock's friends joined in the laughter, not noticing that Danny seemed to be in great pain. Lancer, on the other hand, did notice.

"Mr. Fenton, are you alright?" He exclaimed, alarmed.

**n**_**O**._

Danny took a few calming breaths as the pain subsided.

"Uh, yeah... er, yes sir. I'm fine. Harper Lee wrote _To kill a Mockingbird." _Danny finished.

Mr. Lancer was obviously not satisfied.

"Are you sure you don't need to go to the nurse...?" The teacher inquired.

Panic flashed in the boy's eyes.

"No, really, I'm fine." Danny insisted, a little too quickly.

Lancer's gaze rested on the teen for a moment longer before he turned away, sighing.

"Very well. Let me know if it happens again..."

The teen exhaled slowly. That was a close one. As his heart rate returned to normal, Danny found himself more tired than before. He rested his head in his hands, locking his gaze onto the blackboard.

Sam and Tucker exchanged nervous glances.

After a few minutes, Danny's eyes couldn't read the words printed on the blackboard. He felt them close of their own accord, but didn't try to open them again.

_Maybe I'll just rest my eyes... class is over in ten minutes... I'll be fine..._

* * *

_**H**_**E**_y** t**_H_**e**_**R**_e**, sL**_**e**_E**p**_y_**-**_**H**_**e**A**d! **_**h**_**O**w'**S**_** i**_**T **_g_**Oi**N_**g?**

...

...

...

**w**_o**W, y**_O**u**_**'R**e** rE**_a_**Ll**_**Y**_ o_**U_t _**O**_f _i**_T_**_, h_**U**_H_?**

...

P_**eRF**e**C**t**! h**_E_e**H**eE_h_e**E**..._

_**t**_**I**_m_**_e For a _l_O_**_v_**_El_**_y __L_**_i_T_tL_**_E_**_ ni_G**h_t**Ma**R_**e...**

* * *

**Author's Note: I originally wanted this to be a one-shot, but I'm already and 4,000+ words, which is double what I usually write for a single chapter. So... two-shot? Three-shot? We shall see! ~ Aqua. **


End file.
